Identification of storage resources in multiple domains

ABSTRACT

An information handling system may include a processor and a storage subsystem. The storage subsystem may include a non-expander backplane, a first plurality of storage resources coupled to the processor via the non-expander backplane, and a second plurality of storage resources coupled to the processor via a communication path that does not include the non-expander backplane. The information handling system may be configured to provide slot numbers for the storage resources according to a numbering scheme in which a storage resource from the first plurality of storage resources and a storage resource from the second plurality of storage resources have the same slot number.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 16/549,937, filed Aug. 23, 2019. All of these applications arehereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates in general to information handlingsystems, and more particularly to systems and methods for identifyingstorage resources in information handling systems.

BACKGROUND

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to users is information handling systems. Aninformation handling system generally processes, compiles, stores,and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or otherpurposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of theinformation. Because technology and information handling needs andrequirements vary between different users or applications, informationhandling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled,how the information is handled, how much information is processed,stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the informationmay be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in informationhandling systems allow for information handling systems to be general orconfigured for a specific user or specific use such as financialtransaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage,or global communications. In addition, information handling systems mayinclude a variety of hardware and software components that may beconfigured to process, store, and communicate information and mayinclude one or more computer systems, data storage systems, andnetworking systems.

Various techniques may be used to couple storage resources to aninformation handling system (e.g., to a processor of an informationhandling system). For example, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)Enclosure Services (SES) is a common protocol for establishing aconnection to an external enclosure housing storage resources. In someembodiments, such an enclosure may include a storage enclosure processor(SEP) for facilitating communication among the storage resources andwith other information handling systems. Further, the Serial-AttachedSCSI (SAS) architecture is sometimes used within a SES enclosure,providing a serial device interconnect and a transport protocol. SASphysical links (referred to as phys) are typically a set of wiresconfigured as two differential signal pairs (e.g., one for transmissionof signals in each direction).

Some enclosures use multiple backplanes to couple to storage resourcesthat are located in different regions of a chassis (e.g., front, mid,rear, etc.). For example, an expander backplane may enable connectionsbetween a single controller port and multiple storage resources byrouting phys between the expander backplane's ports with a SEP. Forexample, an expander backplane might have an ×2 SAS link (comprising twophys) connected on the upstream side, but four phys on the downstreamside connected to storage resources. A SEP may be used tomultiplex/demultiplex the communications between the upstream anddownstream paths.

A non-expander backplane, in contrast, may have the same number of physon the upstream side and the downstream side.

In enclosures with multiple backplanes, an issue sometimes arises in thecontext of drive identification numbers (e.g., slot numbers used torefer to specific storage resources). For example, consider an enclosurein which a storage controller is coupled to an expander backplane, whichin turn is connected to a downstream non-expander backplane. The drivesconnected to the downstream non-expander backplane are currentlynumbered in continuation with the numbering of those connected to theupstream expander backplane. For example, if the upstream expanderbackplane allows for 24 drives to be connected, those drives may benumbered as 0 through 23, and the drives connected to the downstreamnon-expander backplane may be numbered beginning at 24.

Another example may be a chassis with drives in a mid bay coupled to amid backplane, where the numbering of the drives in the mid baycontinues in sequence after the front and rear drive numberings.

This situation is non-optimal, as many users and administrators wouldprefer all of the drives coupled to a particular backplane (regardlessof whether that backplane is an expander or non-expander type) to benumbered starting from 0. This may be because typically, all of thedrives coupled to a particular backplane are located in the same regionof the chassis. Thus it is more convenient for all of the drives in agiven region to have numbers that relate to one another, and not todrives in other regions.

Up until now, it has not been possible to have multiple storageresources (e.g., storage resources that are coupled to differentbackplanes) addressed by the same slot number. Embodiments of thisdisclosure may provide techniques for doing so, as well as various otherbenefits.

It should be noted that the discussion of a technique in the Backgroundsection of this disclosure does not constitute an admission of prior-artstatus. No such admissions are made herein, unless clearly andunambiguously identified as such.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure, thedisadvantages and problems associated with identifying storage resourcein information handling systems may be reduced or eliminated.

In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, an informationhandling system may include a processor and a storage subsystem. Thestorage subsystem may include a non-expander backplane, a firstplurality of storage resources coupled to the processor via thenon-expander backplane, and a second plurality of storage resourcescoupled to the processor via a communication path that does not includethe non-expander backplane. The information handling system may beconfigured to provide slot numbers for the storage resources accordingto a numbering scheme in which a storage resource from the firstplurality of storage resources and a storage resource from the secondplurality of storage resources have the same slot number.

In accordance with these and other embodiments of the presentdisclosure, a method may include providing slot numbers for storageresources in a SCSI enclosure services (SES) chassis that includes aprocessor, a non-expander backplane, a first plurality of storageresources coupled to the processor via the non-expander backplane, and asecond plurality of storage resources coupled to the processor via acommunication path that does not include the non-expander backplane;wherein the slot numbers are provided according to a numbering scheme inwhich a storage resource from the first plurality of storage resourcesand a storage resource from the second plurality of storage resourceshave the same slot number; and wherein the providing includes setting aportion of an SES diagnostic page that is designated as reserved toindicate that the storage resource from the first plurality of storageresources and the storage resource from the second plurality of storageresources are associated with different storage domains.

In accordance with these and other embodiments of the presentdisclosure, an article of manufacture may include a non-transitory,computer-readable medium having computer-executable code thereon that isexecutable by a processor of an information handling system for:providing slot numbers for storage resources in a chassis that includesa processor, a non-expander backplane, a first plurality of storageresources coupled to the processor via the non-expander backplane, and asecond plurality of storage resources coupled to the processor via acommunication path that does not include the non-expander backplane;wherein the slot numbers are provided according to a numbering scheme inwhich a storage resource from the first plurality of storage resourcesand a storage resource from the second plurality of storage resourceshave the same slot number; and wherein the providing includes setting aportion of a data structure that is designated as reserved to indicatethat the storage resource from the first plurality of storage resourcesand the storage resource from the second plurality of storage resourcesare associated with different storage domains.

Technical advantages of the present disclosure may be readily apparentto one skilled in the art from the figures, description and claimsincluded herein. The objects and advantages of the embodiments will berealized and achieved at least by the elements, features, andcombinations particularly pointed out in the claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are examples and explanatory and arenot restrictive of the claims set forth in this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present embodiments and advantagesthereof may be acquired by referring to the following description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencenumbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example information handlingsystem, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example storage resourceenclosure, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of another example storage resourceenclosure, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 4A-4D and 5A-5D provide tables showing page layouts for diagnosticpages for enclosure service devices, in accordance with embodiments ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preferred embodiments and their advantages are best understood byreference to FIGS. 1 through 5D, wherein like numbers are used toindicate like and corresponding parts.

For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “information handlingsystem” may include any instrumentality or aggregate ofinstrumentalities operable to compute, classify, process, transmit,receive, retrieve, originate, switch, store, display, manifest, detect,record, reproduce, handle, or utilize any form of information,intelligence, or data for business, scientific, control, entertainment,or other purposes. For example, an information handling system may be apersonal computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a consumerelectronic device, a network storage device, or any other suitabledevice and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality, andprice. The information handling system may include memory, one or moreprocessing resources such as a central processing unit (“CPU”) orhardware or software control logic. Additional components of theinformation handling system may include one or more storage devices, oneor more communications ports for communicating with external devices aswell as various input/output (“I/O”) devices, such as a keyboard, amouse, and a video display. The information handling system may alsoinclude one or more buses operable to transmit communication between thevarious hardware components.

For purposes of this disclosure, when two or more elements are referredto as “coupled” to one another, such term indicates that such two ormore elements are in electronic communication or mechanicalcommunication, as applicable, whether connected directly or indirectly,with or without intervening elements.

When two or more elements are referred to as “coupleable” to oneanother, such term indicates that they are capable of being coupledtogether.

For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “computer-readable medium”(e.g., transitory or non-transitory computer-readable medium) mayinclude any instrumentality or aggregation of instrumentalities that mayretain data and/or instructions for a period of time. Computer-readablemedia may include, without limitation, storage media such as a directaccess storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive or floppy disk), asequential access storage device (e.g., a tape disk drive), compactdisk, CD-ROM, DVD, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM),electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and/orflash memory; communications media such as wires, optical fibers,microwaves, radio waves, and other electromagnetic and/or opticalcarriers; and/or any combination of the foregoing.

For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “information handlingresource” may broadly refer to any component system, device, orapparatus of an information handling system, including withoutlimitation processors, service processors, basic input/output systems,buses, memories, I/O devices and/or interfaces, storage resources,network interfaces, motherboards, and/or any other components and/orelements of an information handling system.

For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “management controller”may broadly refer to an information handling system that providesmanagement functionality (typically out-of-band managementfunctionality) to one or more other information handling systems. Insome embodiments, a management controller may be (or may be an integralpart of) a service processor, a baseboard management controller (BMC), achassis management controller (CMC), or a remote access controller(e.g., a Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC) or Integrated Dell RemoteAccess Controller (iDRAC)).

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example information handlingsystem 102, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Insome embodiments, information handling system 102 may comprise a serverchassis configured to house a plurality of servers or “blades.” In otherembodiments, information handling system 102 may comprise a personalcomputer (e.g., a desktop computer, laptop computer, mobile computer,and/or notebook computer). In yet other embodiments, informationhandling system 102 may comprise a storage enclosure configured to housea plurality of physical disk drives and/or other computer-readable mediafor storing data (which may generally be referred to as “physicalstorage resources” or simply “storage resources”). As shown in FIG. 1,information handling system 102 may comprise a processor 103, a memory104 communicatively coupled to processor 103, a BIOS 105 (e.g., a UEFIBIOS) communicatively coupled to processor 103, a network interface 108communicatively coupled to processor 103, and a management controller112 communicatively coupled to processor 103.

In operation, processor 103, memory 104, BIOS 105, and network interface108 may comprise at least a portion of a host system 98 of informationhandling system 102. In addition to the elements explicitly shown anddescribed, information handling system 102 may include one or more otherinformation handling resources.

Processor 103 may include any system, device, or apparatus configured tointerpret and/or execute program instructions and/or process data, andmay include, without limitation, a microprocessor, microcontroller,digital signal processor (DSP), application specific integrated circuit(ASIC), or any other digital or analog circuitry configured to interpretand/or execute program instructions and/or process data. In someembodiments, processor 103 may interpret and/or execute programinstructions and/or process data stored in memory 104 and/or anothercomponent of information handling system 102.

Memory 104 may be communicatively coupled to processor 103 and mayinclude any system, device, or apparatus configured to retain programinstructions and/or data for a period of time (e.g., computer-readablemedia). Memory 104 may include RAM, EEPROM, a PCMCIA card, flash memory,magnetic storage, opto-magnetic storage, or any suitable selectionand/or array of volatile or non-volatile memory that retains data afterpower to information handling system 102 is turned off.

As shown in FIG. 1, memory 104 may have stored thereon an operatingsystem 106. Operating system 106 may comprise any program of executableinstructions (or aggregation of programs of executable instructions)configured to manage and/or control the allocation and usage of hardwareresources such as memory, processor time, disk space, and input andoutput devices, and provide an interface between such hardware resourcesand application programs hosted by operating system 106. In addition,operating system 106 may include all or a portion of a network stack fornetwork communication via a network interface (e.g., network interface108 for communication over a data network). Although operating system106 is shown in FIG. 1 as stored in memory 104, in some embodimentsoperating system 106 may be stored in storage media accessible toprocessor 103, and active portions of operating system 106 may betransferred from such storage media to memory 104 for execution byprocessor 103.

Network interface 108 may comprise one or more suitable systems,apparatuses, or devices operable to serve as an interface betweeninformation handling system 102 and one or more other informationhandling systems via an in-band network. Network interface 108 mayenable information handling system 102 to communicate using any suitabletransmission protocol and/or standard. In these and other embodiments,network interface 108 may comprise a network interface card, or “NIC.”In these and other embodiments, network interface 108 may be enabled asa local area network (LAN)-on-motherboard (LOM) card.

Management controller 112 may be configured to provide managementfunctionality for the management of information handling system 102.Such management may be made by management controller 112 even ifinformation handling system 102 and/or host system 98 are powered off orpowered to a standby state. Management controller 112 may include aprocessor 113, memory, and a network interface 118 separate from andphysically isolated from network interface 108.

As shown in FIG. 1, processor 113 of management controller 112 may becommunicatively coupled to processor 103. Such coupling may be via aUniversal Serial Bus (USB), System Management Bus (SMBus), and/or one ormore other communications channels.

Network interface 118 may be coupled to a management network, which maybe separate from and physically isolated from the data network as shown.Network interface 118 of management controller 112 may comprise anysuitable system, apparatus, or device operable to serve as an interfacebetween management controller 112 and one or more other informationhandling systems via an out-of-band management network. Networkinterface 118 may enable management controller 112 to communicate usingany suitable transmission protocol and/or standard. In these and otherembodiments, network interface 118 may comprise a network interfacecard, or “NIC.” Network interface 118 may be the same type of device asnetwork interface 108, or in other embodiments it may be a device of adifferent type.

Additionally, information handling system 102 may be coupled to storagesubsystem 110. In some embodiments, storage subsystem 110 may be anexternal drive enclosure including one or more storage resourcestherein. In other embodiments, storage subsystem 110 may be an integralpart of information handling system 102. For example, in someembodiments, information handling system 102 may itself be a driveenclosure.

Turning now to FIG. 2, an example drive enclosure 200 is shown. Storagecontroller 202 (which may be internal or external to drive enclosure200) may comprise any system, device, or apparatus configured to carryout storage operations (e.g., input/output) within drive enclosure 200.Storage controller 202 may include a storage enclosure processor (SEP)as a component thereof. Storage controller 202 may be coupled to one ormore information handling systems (not shown).

Drive enclosure 200 may include two backplanes in this embodiment.Expander front backplane 204 may be coupled directly to storagecontroller 202 via an ×16 SAS link. Expander front backplane 204 mayexpand that ×16 link into 24 SAS links for coupling to storage resourcesthat may be located in a front region of drive enclosure 200. Further,expander front backplane 204 may be coupled to downstream non-expanderbackplane 206 via an ×2 SAS link.

The numbering scheme shown in FIG. 2 for the 26 possible drives may beundesirable. In particular, numbering the drives in the front region ofthe chassis as 0 through 23, and the drives in the rear region of thechassis as 24 and 25 may be considered non-intuitive and inconvenientfor a user of drive enclosure 200.

A more desirable scheme may include restarting the numbering for eachregion of the drive enclosure (e.g., front, rear, mid, etc.). In thisexample, the front bay would have drives 0 through 23, and the rear baywould have drives 0 and 1. Various reasons may support the desire torestart the numbering scheme from zero for each backplane.

Turning now to FIG. 3, an embodiment is shown in which a more desirablenumbering is used in drive enclosure 300.

As shown in FIG. 3, storage controller 302 may be coupled to anon-expander front backplane 304 via multiple connections: an ×8 SASlink as well as an ×4 SAS link. Storage controller 302 may further becoupled to non-expander rear backplane 306 via an ×2 SAS link.

In a non-expander topology such as the one shown in FIG. 3 (e.g., inwhich a SEP device is present on each of multiple backplanes), thenumbering may restart from zero for each backplane (e.g., because theSEP devices on each backplane are independent of each other).

Numbering schemes based solely on phy numbers may not work as smoothly,as there may be unused phys. For example, in the embodiment of driveenclosure 300, phys 10 and 11 from storage controller 302 may not beconnected to any drives (e.g., because half of the ×4 SAS link may beconnected to drives in slots 8 and 9, the other half comprising phys 10and 11 may remain unconnected). The rear drives are connected to phys 12and 13. Accordingly, a numbering scheme based on phy numbers alone wouldhave drives 0-9 in the front region and drives 12 and 13 in the rearregion.

This may be undesirable, as many users desire rear drives to start fromzero (particularly as they are typically used as OS drives).

In light of all of these considerations, it may be desirable for allbackplanes (expander and non-expander) within a given enclosure to starttheir drive numberings from zero.

In current designs, a SEP device may be included in expander backplanesfor backplane management. This SEP device may provide the SESfunctionality with which the devices connected to the expanders aremanaged. The SES implementation by the SEP device may represent all ofthe drives in an enclosure as if they are in a single backplane, whichimplies that they are in the undesirable continuous slot order numberingfor drives in different regions of the enclosure.

This representation is consistent in SES pages 02h (enclosure status andcontrol diagnostic page) and 0Ah (additional element status diagnosticpage). As one of ordinary skill in the art with the benefit of thisdisclosure will readily understand, references to specific diagnosticpage codes may be made with citation to the SCSI Enclosure Servicesstandard promulgated by the International Committee for InformationTechnology Standards. For the sake of completeness, this standard isincorporated by reference herein.

SES page 02h represents a drive with an array device element. Allelements may be represented by a single-dimensional array with linearlyincreasing index value. This representation method inhibits the abilityto represent the same drive slot number on two different backplanes withnonlinear numbering.

SES page 0Ah represents a drive with an additional element statusdescriptor. Although the additional element status descriptor providesfor the device slot number to be set by the SEP device independently foreach element, it may not be sufficient to differentiate or identify theparticular storage domain (e.g., front/mid/rear, the particularbackplane to which the drive is connected, or the region of the chassis)for that drive.

With these limitations in mind, there is no straightforward way torepresent drives located in different storage domains with the samedevice slot number. However, embodiments of this disclosure may useportions of one or more SES diagnostic pages (e.g., portions that aremarked by the standard as reserved) in order to store information thatallows a system to differentiate between drives that have the same slotnumber but are coupled to different storage domains.

FIGS. 4A and 4B provide tables showing the current layout of SES page0Ah. In particular, FIG. 4A shows the additional element statusdescriptor protocol specific information for device slot elements andarray device slot elements for SAS with the EIP bit set to one. FIG. 4Bshows the corresponding page with the EIP bit set to zero.

FIGS. 4C and 4D provide tables that respectively correspond to thetables shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B. In FIGS. 4C and 4D, however, two bitsof reserved storage space have been used to indicate the “device slotdomain.”

That is, in this embodiment, reserved bits in byte 1 of the additionalelement status descriptor specific information for device slot elementsand array device slot elements field may be used to represent differentbackplanes in a system.

In this embodiment, bits 1 and 2 of byte 1 may represent the storagedomain, which can be represented by values as 00b, 01b, 10b and 11b,each value representing a location of backplane. For example, 01b mayrepresent the front backplane, 00b may represent the rear backplane, and10b may represent the mid backplanes, etc. Slot numbering is beingrepresented in this embodiment by byte 3, the device slot number.

According to another embodiment, a different SES diagnostic page may beused.

FIGS. 5A and 5B provide tables showing the current layout of SES page02h. In particular, FIG. 5A shows the device slot status element. FIG.5B shows the slot address field.

FIGS. 5C and 5D provide tables that respectively correspond to thetables shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. In FIGS. 5C and 5D, however, two bitsof reserved storage space have been used to indicate the “device slotdomain.” (FIG. 5D is identical to FIG. 5B and is included merely forcompleteness.)

In particular, in this embodiment, the device slot status element may beused to represent the storage domain of the backplane. Byte 1 may beused to represent the storage domain of the backplane in the embodimentshown, with bits 0 and 1 representing storage domains as 00b, 01b, 10b,11b, each value representing a location of backplane. For example, as inFIG. 4, 01b may represent the front backplane, 00b may represent therear backplane, 10b may represent the mid backplane, etc. In otherembodiments, different numbering schemes may also of course be used.

Bits 3-7 are still used to represent the drive slot number within thatstorage domain, such that there are 2{circumflex over ( )}6=64 possibleslot numbers (instead of the 2{circumflex over ( )}8=256 slot numberscurrently available). Thus in the embodiment shown, only 64 drive slotsare representable for each storage domain.

In practice, 64 slot numbers per storage domain may be sufficient. Inother embodiments, however, a different number of reserved bits may beused. For example, with only one reserved bit used to represent thestorage domain, a different tradeoff is obtained: 2 possible storagedomains instead of 4, but 128 slots per storage domain instead of 64.

In yet other embodiments, different possibilities for storage of thedomain information may be used. For example, reserved portions of otherSES diagnostic pages may be used, different numbers of reserved bits maybe used, etc.

Although various possible advantages with respect to embodiments of thisdisclosure have been described, one of ordinary skill in the art withthe benefit of this disclosure will understand that in any particularembodiment, not all of such advantages may be applicable. In anyparticular embodiment, some, all, or even none of the listed advantagesmay apply.

This disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions, variations,alterations, and modifications to the exemplary embodiments herein thata person having ordinary skill in the art would comprehend. Similarly,where appropriate, the appended claims encompass all changes,substitutions, variations, alterations, and modifications to theexemplary embodiments herein that a person having ordinary skill in theart would comprehend. Moreover, reference in the appended claims to anapparatus or system or a component of an apparatus or system beingadapted to, arranged to, capable of, configured to, enabled to, operableto, or operative to perform a particular function encompasses thatapparatus, system, or component, whether or not it or that particularfunction is activated, turned on, or unlocked, as long as thatapparatus, system, or component is so adapted, arranged, capable,configured, enabled, operable, or operative.

Further, reciting in the appended claims that a structure is “configuredto” or “operable to” perform one or more tasks is expressly intended notto invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) for that claim element. Accordingly, noneof the claims in this application as filed are intended to beinterpreted as having means-plus-function elements. Should Applicantwish to invoke § 112(f) during prosecution, Applicant will recite claimelements using the “means for [performing a function]” construct.

All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended forpedagogical objects to aid the reader in understanding the invention andthe concepts contributed by the inventor to furthering the art, and areconstrued as being without limitation to such specifically recitedexamples and conditions. Although embodiments of the present inventionshave been described in detail, it should be understood that variouschanges, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. An information handling system comprising: aprocessor; and a storage subsystem including: a non-expander backplane;and storage resources including: a first plurality of storage resourcescoupled to the processor via the non-expander backplane; and a secondplurality of storage resources coupled to the processor via acommunication path that does not include the non-expander backplane;wherein the information handling system is configured to provide slotnumbers for the storage resources according to a numbering scheme inwhich a first storage resource from the first plurality of storageresources and a second storage resource from the second plurality ofstorage resources have the same slot number; and wherein the providingincludes setting a portion of a data structure that is designated asreserved to indicate that the first storage resource and the secondstorage resource are associated with different storage domains.
 22. Theinformation handling system of claim 21, wherein the second plurality ofstorage resources are coupled to the processor via an expanderbackplane, and wherein the non-expander backplane is coupled to theprocessor via the expander backplane.
 23. The information handlingsystem of claim 21, wherein the non-expander backplane does not includea storage enclosure processor.
 24. The information handling system ofclaim 21, wherein the storage subsystem further includes an expanderbackplane, and a third plurality of storage resources coupled to theprocessor via the expander backplane.
 25. The information handlingsystem of claim 21, wherein the storage subsystem includes a SCSIenclosure services (SES) chassis.
 26. The information handling system ofclaim 25, wherein the data structure is an SES diagnostic page.
 27. Theinformation handling system of claim 26, wherein the SES diagnostic pageis selected from the group consisting of page 02h and page 0Ah.
 28. Amethod comprising: providing slot numbers for storage resources in achassis that includes a processor, a non-expander backplane, and storageresources including a first plurality of storage resources coupled tothe processor via the non-expander backplane, and a second plurality ofstorage resources coupled to the processor via a communication path thatdoes not include the non-expander backplane; wherein the slot numbersare provided according to a numbering scheme in which a storage resourcefrom the first plurality of storage resources and a storage resourcefrom the second plurality of storage resources have the same slotnumber; and wherein the providing includes setting a portion of a datastructure that is designated as reserved to indicate that the firststorage resource and the second storage resource are associated withdifferent storage domains.
 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the datastructure includes a SCSI enclosure services (SES) diagnostic page. 30.The method of claim 28, wherein the different storage domains eachinclude a set of contiguous slot numbers.
 31. The method of claim 30,wherein each set of contiguous slot numbers starts at slot number
 0. 32.The method of claim 31, wherein at least one of the storage domainsincludes an unused SCSI phy that is not coupled to any storage resource.33. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory,computer-readable medium having computer-executable code thereon that isexecutable by a processor of an information handling system for:providing slot numbers for storage resources in a chassis that includesa processor, a non-expander backplane, a first plurality of storageresources coupled to the processor via the non-expander backplane, and asecond plurality of storage resources coupled to the processor via acommunication path that does not include the non-expander backplane;wherein the slot numbers are provided according to a numbering scheme inwhich a first storage resource from the first plurality of storageresources and a second storage resource from the second plurality ofstorage resources have the same slot number; and wherein the providingincludes setting a portion of a data structure that is designated asreserved to indicate that the first storage resource and the secondstorage resource are associated with different storage domains.
 34. Thearticle of claim 33, wherein the second plurality of storage resourcesare coupled to the processor via an expander backplane.
 35. The articleof claim 34, wherein the non-expander backplane is coupled to theprocessor via the expander backplane.
 36. The article of claim 33,wherein the non-expander backplane does not include a storage enclosureprocessor.
 37. The article of claim 33, wherein the chassis furtherincludes an expander backplane, and a third plurality of storageresources coupled to the processor via the expander backplane.
 38. Thearticle of claim 33, wherein the chassis is a SCSI enclosure services(SES) chassis.
 39. The article of claim 38, wherein the data structureis an SES diagnostic page.
 40. The article of claim 39, wherein the SESdiagnostic page is selected from the group consisting of page 02h andpage 0Ah.